Why is There Sediment in My IPA?

We occasionally get inquiries about the “lees” (sediment) that sometimes appears in IPA bottles. “What is it and why is it there?” people want to know. It is a combination of malt proteins, hop tannins & yeast, which occur naturally in a dry-hopped, unfiltered beer such as Smuttynose IPA.

Because many mass-produced beers are subjected to filtration – mostly for aesthetic reasons – many people have grown accustomed to crystal-clear beers. Breweries, like Smuttynose, could make a beer that is pretty and bright by processing it that way, but they believe that would sacrifice flavor. They like the way their IPA tastes, so they’ve chosen to live with their “ugly” beer, even though this may not please everyone. So here’s to lees, a healthy & natural feature of our homely IPA! Cheers!